Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

तथापि सर्वदा भाव्यं नित्यं देव त्वया विभो । अस्मद्रक्षार्थमत्रैव विजितेन्द्रियवर्त्मना

Transliteration

tathāpi sarvadā bhāvyaṃ nityaṃ deva tvayā vibho | asmadrakṣārthamatraiva vijitendriyavartmanā

Translation

« Pourtant, ô Seigneur tout-puissant, daigne demeurer ici à jamais pour notre protection, en suivant la voie de la maîtrise des sens. »

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘तथा/so, thus’

• अपि: even/also/however
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) — ‘also, even, however’

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverb/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘always’

• भाव्यम्: should be (done)/must be
• भाव्यम्: Vidheyabhāva (Obligatory predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → भाव्य (कृदन्त, भाव्यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्यत्/gerundive, विधिलिङ्गार्थ) — नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘should be/ought to be done’ (impersonal obligation)

• नित्यम्: constantly
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः — ‘constantly’

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Vocative address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartṛ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — ‘by you’

• विभो: O all-pervading one
• विभो: Sambodhana (Vocative address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• अस्मद्-रक्षा-अर्थम्: for our protection
• अस्मद्-रक्षा-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः): अस्मदः रक्षा = ‘our protection’; तस्य अर्थम् — नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक — ‘for the sake of’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative adverb/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — ‘here’

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) — ‘indeed/only’

• विजित-इन्द्रिय-वर्त्मना: by the path of conquered senses
• विजित-इन्द्रिय-वर्त्मना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विजित (√जि धातु, क्त कृदन्त) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः): ‘विजितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य वर्त्म’ = ‘path of conquered senses’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (वर्त्मन् नपुंसक), तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — ‘by/through the path…’

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas petition the Lord to remain there always for their protection; the Lord is depicted as steady, luminous, embodying self-mastery and guardianship over the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Vibhu (Hari/Viṣṇu)
• Ayodhyā (here/atra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection and order in the world are linked to the Lord’s sustaining presence and to the dharmic ideal of self-control.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is implied by “here itself (atraiva)” as the place where the devas request the Lord to remain for protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse upholds indriya-nigraha (sense-control) as a spiritual discipline.